Who can foster?

Anyone can potentially become a foster carer. We believe fostering should be inclusive and diverse.

It’s your personal qualities that really count when it comes to being a foster carer. You’ll need plenty of energy, patience, resilience!

Becoming a foster carer involves an assessment process. DBS, reference and background checks are part of the initial requirement. We will provide you with your own senior social worker to help guide and support you on your fostering journey.

Our 3 Key Criteria For Becoming a Foster Parent

Aged 21 or over.
Have at least one spare bedroom in your home.
Have the stamina, love, and compassion to care for a child.

If you meet these three key criteria then fostering a child is an option for you. You don’t need to be married or in a relationship. And, you don’t need to already be a parent. You don’t need to have any specific qualifications or prior experience in childcare.

Why are we right for you?

We celebrate equality and diversity, and take pride in welcoming applications from people 21 or older, no matter their age, background or abilities.
We are proud of our matching processes, matching carers and children for fostering success. We have one of the strongest track records for ‘getting it right’.
You will get all the support you need to succeed – a dedicated social worker and support team 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We offer a generous financial package, including paid respite and various other soft benefits.
Comprehensive training to ensure you have the best skills to succeed.
Regular support group meetings with other foster carers in your local area.
A variety of events, activities and days out for you, your family and the children you care for
Regular home support visits from your personal Social Worker

24/7 Support

A dedicated social worker and support team 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Plus support groups with other foster carers in your local area.

Generous Fees & Allowances

We offer a generous financial package for our professional foster carers, including paid respite, holiday allowances and various other soft benefits.

Strong Matching Process

We are proud of our processes, matching foster carers and children for long term fostering success. We have one of the strongest track records for ‘getting it right’!

What's Fostering Really Like?

Being a foster carer will challenge you, but the rewards are huge too; we’ll be there supporting you to succeed – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our foster carers really do change the lives of children every single day.

What Kind of Training Do you need?

You don’t need any previous experience or training to become a Foster Carer with us. We will take care of everything. We believe that looking after YOU is the key to YOUR SUCCESS!

The first training we provide is called ‘SKILLS TO FOSTER' and it is designed to help you get started in the best way possible.
We offer training online and in-person. We run sessions at our Malvern office where you'll also meet other potential foster carers.
As a Foster Carer, there are mandatory courses, which we support you with. We also offer a wide range of optional training courses to help you grow and extend your skills as an approved carer.

What Kind of Support Do You Get?

As a foster carer, you’re not just left on your own! There is always someone on hand to help and advise you. You will have your own dedicated social worker assigned to you, who will be there to provide ongoing support, including monthly visits.

You are afforded the opportunity to talk openly about any concerns you may have, along with any feedback about how we can support you more effectively.
Our out-of-hours service will ensure that we have your back even at the latest of hours. You will be provided with a telephone number to call, where you will get to speak to one of our duty social workers straight away.
It is extremely important for foster carers to be able to talk to each other and our support groups make that happen.

What DO Foster Carers Get Paid?

Fostering is a highly skilled role, so you will receive a professional carer fee when a child is placed with you.

Examples of Foster Carer Pay

The actual amount paid is dependent on the age of the child/children – along with their assessed needs and requirements. The amount we pay includes the government fostering allowance and our professional carer fee. You are also entitled to take paid respite breaks.

One
Child

£487 per week

We pay up to this amount per week when a single child is matched to your household.

One Child (SOLO)

£927 per week

If only one child can be matched to your household, due to the child’s additional needs, we will pay up to this amount per week.

Two Children

£974 per week

We pay up to this amount per week when TWO children are matched to your household.

Parent & Child

£731 per week

We will pay up to this amount, if after additional training you care for a parent & their child in your home. (1 parent & 1 child under age 5)

The Fostering Process

We'll be with you every step of the way!

The process from application to approved foster carer is in-depth. It involves doing a detailed assessment to help you make the right decision.

Don’t worry though, we’ll be with you every step of the way to support you, and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Fostering needs to be the right decision for YOU and your household.

5 Steps to Fostering

1. Start Assessment

An FCC social worker will visit or call you to talk more about your application and why you want to foster. This is an informal discussion where you can ask lots of questions.

2. Get References

We take up both personal & professional references – people will be asked to comment on your ability to look after and care for children & young people. We’ll also initiate a medical, DBS and Local Authority checks.

3. Form F Assessment

Your FCC Social Worker will make a full in-depth assessment of you and any other fostering applicants in your household. This is called a Form F.

4. Skills Training

You will then participate in our Skills To Foster training to get you all ready. You’ll also get to meet other fostering applicants too!

5. Fostering Panel

The final step in your journey! The FCC panel will consider the Form F report carefully. If successful, approval is recommended for specific numbers and ages of children that you can foster.

You're now a registered foster carer! Congratulations!
You can start making a difference to children's lives.